Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.
We’re all familiar with M&M’s, the colorful candy-coated chocolates, but did you know that you could create your very own M&M’s? Okay, perhaps some of you lucky people have visited M&M’s World and already know about this, but for the rest of us who don’t, YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE M&M’s! You can even print your Twitter ID on it! If you don’t have a Twitter account, that’s perhaps the best reason to get one.
Our reporter Kuzo takes us through the customization process!
What comes to mind when you think of popular Japanese dishes? Of course, sushi and ramen top the list, but it’s also hard to leave out curry rice. Our modern notion of Japanese curry, which originally came from India and was further developed in England, came to Japan during the Meiji Era (1868-1912). However, the ingredients used for “medicinal curry” (based on Chinese medicine) have actually been in Japan for 1,300 years, since the Nara Era (710-794). We were lucky enough to find a pouch of instant “1,300-year-old curry” and just had to try it!
Japan has an unspoken problem with homelessness in its cities. It’s not uncommon to see tent cities along the edges of recreational parks or to see leather-skinned men sleeping on newspapers around the train stations. These people are largely ignored by the public and will keep to themselves unless provoked by some means. The vast majority do not even beg.
Unfortunately, the problem of poverty is not the only issue that these people face. Mental illness is not uncommon amongst the homeless, and the combination of hungry people and unstable mental states can lead to some especially unfortunate circumstances.
The characters above should look very familiar to any student of Japanese. Hiragana is the phonetic alphabet that is usually the first writing system you learn. Compared to the much more complex and difficult to remember Chinese characters and the angular katakana alphabet, the loopy hiragana characters have a pleasant round feel that’s often called “cute.”
But which character is the cutest of them all? Japan weighs in.
Many of us have an impression that Japanese girls are slim and petite (which many of them really are), but one of the sad truths behind their stick-thin figures is a rather serious case of discrimination from society. While voluptuous women are popular in certain parts of the world, being even slightly chubby (not obese) is a big no-no in Japan and chubby girls often get called “debu” (fatso) online and sometimes to their face.
But recently, a new nickname for such chubby ladies has started trending among Japanese netizens, which hopefully will change the attitudes people have towards them. Behold, the rise of the “marshmallow girls”!
It’s almost the end of 2013 and that means it’s time to sit back and reflect on the events of this past year. Was it a good one for you, filled with PS4s and all-you-can-eat Whoppers? Or are you anxious to get on with the year of the horse? Whatever 2013 looked like for you and no matter where you are located in the world, we’re sure you spent a good portion of your time on YouTube. So why not ring in the new year by watching the top 10 most popular YouTube videos in Japan during 2013.
A peculiar flower that resembles Darth Vader has just bloomed at the Kyoto Botanical Garden, causing rebels in the Kyoto metropolitan area to tremble in fear. With two deep pitted areas and a smaller one in the middle, as well as a bulbous cap with curled edges, it appears the Sith Lord has been reincarnated as a flower.
We’ve already covered South Korea’s attitudes about plastic surgery; basically, that it’s considered at worst a necessary evil for some folks to get ahead in life.
That cultural attitude has led the country to be widely considered the world cosmetic surgery capital, and has even led a handful, like this obsessed woman, to spend years of their lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars artificially perfecting their appearance.
Visitors to Tokyo may be aware of a popular local sweet called Tokyo Banana sold here in the city. They’re cute, yellow, banana-shaped sponge cakes with banana custard cream filling inside. And yes, they’re as good as the description sounds, which is why the cakes are a well-loved treat in Japan, and seemingly in other parts of the world as well, as I’ve actually heard people from Singapore and Malaysia mention that they’re fans of the cake.
One of the reporters at our sister site Pouch is also apparently a big fan, so when a new version of Tokyo Banana came out this month, she naturally had to get her hands on some! And what’s so special about the new Tokyo Banana cakes? Well, to start with, they’re only sold at one location — Tokyo Station to be exact — and not only do they come in a different flavor from the regular cakes, they come in beautiful, colorful prints!
Itasha, literally “painful cars,” are vehicles tricked out with all kinds of crazy body work and paint jobs so that they look like something out of an anime and are supposed to “hurt” just to look at. There’s a vibrant subculture of itasha owners and fans in Japan and they meet up every now and then to show off their wheels and talk shop. Take a look at our photo gallery and see if you don’t get a little depressed over your own car’s lack of fins.
We often like to cover the more absurd things that get put up for bid on Yahoo! Auction Japan, but this time something has come up that may be of genuine interest to either Lady Gaga or Hello Kitty fans. If you happen to be a fan of both then this is downright priceless.
Currently an extremely limited edition Hello Kitty doll is the subject of fierce bidding. This Hello Kitty is done up in fashion inspired by one of the biggest musicians in the world today, Lady Gaga.
If you are hungry, Japanese convenience stores are beautiful places that have pretty much everything your heart could desire, from a quick on-the-go snack to a yummy summertime ice cream treat. And some of the best things they offer are ready-made meals like curry and rice, pasta or ramen. These ready-made meals can be like a gift from heaven on a busy day when you don’t have time to cook and need to take a break from frozen food.
But did you know that many convenience stores in Japan put out a new ready-made meal every Tuesday? Since you may find it hard to stake out every convenience store, we sent our reporters to try out some new meals. Click below to see the six that they recommended!
Naver Corporation’s Line has been steadily becoming a juggernaut of smartphone apps in recent months. Starting out as a mild-mannered free text and voice chatting application, it has since expanded into a drawing app, games, and even a recently launched Q&A service.
Now, the company’s free camera app has hit the scene and is causing a bit of a stir for its rumored ability to enhance anyone’s beauty. Our Japanese writer GO, who’s always looking for ways to improve his already stunning features, took it out for a spin.
Thirty-one Ice Cream, as Baskin Robbins is called in Japan, just revealed four new “flavors of love” to be released in time for Valentines Day 2014. You might think that love tastes different depending on who you talk to, but the popular ice cream chain suggests it actually tastes like armaretto chocolate, berries, cheesecake and chocolate raspberries.
Compared to older forms of media such as books and movies, the video game industry is still somewhat wet behind the ears. But as technology advances and developers become increasingly able to realise their creative visions without having to rein in their imaginations due to hardware limitations, we are finally reaching the point where games are able to not just entertain but challenge us both intellectually and viscerally, creating emotive experiences and acting as vehicles for genuinely engaging tales.
9.03m does precisely that. Developed by independent Scottish game studio Space Budgie, the game, whose proceeds go towards those affected by the disaster, stands as a memorial to the victims of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami, questing players with gathering the possessions of those lost in the tsunami, which have been carried across the ocean from Japan to America, with each object telling the story of a lost soul.
At once heartrending and beautiful, this is a title that deserves the attention of not just every gamer but every person with access to a PC.
Shimane Prefecture, located along the northwestern edge of Japan’s main island of Honshu, is commonly the butt of jokes. At best, it’s often confused with neighboring Tottori Prefecture, and at worst, it’s forgotten about altogether.
Despite its natural beauty and historical sites such as the Grand Shinto Shrine of Izumo, there’s no getting around the fact that Shimane is a quiet, rural place. Even in the prefectural capital of Matsue, there’s usually not much going on.
Except, perhaps, for a recent poltergeist attack.
It seems like you can make almost anything out of Legos, including your favorite characters. Sure, there are kits that come with instructions, but making a Lego figure using just your imagination is so satisfying and really impressive. We recently showed you Robot Lego Pokemon. This time, please enjoy 11 different characters from Japanese video games and anime all made out of tiny plastic bricks.
It’s all happening on Asia’s trains this week, isn’t it? According to Southeast Asian news sources, a man dressed in “samurai” garb faces up to five years in prison and “flogging” after jumping the ticket gate and then brandishing a full-length samurai sword on board a busy subway train on Monday this week.
With New Year’s just around the corner supermarkets and department stores all over Japan are displaying kagami mochi. These are mounds of the popular Japanese food mochi which is made from rice and has a gummy consistency.
They can serve as household decorations up until 1 January when they may then be happily, and hopefully safely, devoured. However, mochi has a subtle sweetness that some might find rather bland. If that’s the case for you then Baskin Robbins is hoping you’ll enjoy their Kagami Mochi Ice Cream Cakes.
It’s been over 80 years since the words “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” were made famous by the 1920s song of the same name. Well, here we are in the 21st century, and it looks like we’re still screaming for ice cream, because who doesn’t love the sweet, cold stuff, right?
Even in the middle of winter, frozen treats like yukimi daifuku and other ice cream products in tantalizing seasonal flavors (seriously, why do they have to come up with ice cream flavors like pumpkin, apple pie and french toast?) can be incredibly tempting. Among our favorites, of course, is Häagen-Dazs ice cream, and today, one of our reporters from the Japanese RocketNews24 site shares with us his very own quick and easy recipe for creating a yummy dessert using store-bought Häagen-Dazs ice creams cups. And what makes it interesting is that although it involves ice cream, it isn’t a frozen dessert!
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Historical figures get manga makeovers from artists of Spy x Family, My Hero Academia and more
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Red light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Anime girl English teacher Ellen-sensei becomes VTuber/VVTUber and NFT
Celebrate another year of life by putting it in jeopardy with this birthday candle flower
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
A Gintama fan’s emotional 19-year journey to buy a proper Lake Toya bokuto wooden katana【Pics】McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
All-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
French Fries Bread in Tokyo’s Shibuya becomes a hit on social media
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
New private rooms on Tokaido Shinkansen change the way we travel from Tokyo to KyotoRed light district sushi restaurant in Tokyo shows us just how wrong we were about it
Studio Ghibli glasses cases let anime characters keep an eye on your spectaclesTokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
Beautiful Ghibli sealing wax kits let you create accessories and elegant letter decorations【Pics】McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Studio Ghibli releases Kiki’s Delivery Service chocolate cake pouches in Japan
New definition of “Japanese whiskey” goes into effect to prevent fakes from fooling overseas buyers
Our Japanese reporter visits Costco in the U.S., finds super American and very Japanese things
Studio Ghibli unveils Mother’s Day gift set that captures the love in My Neighbour TotoroJapanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
New Japanese KitKat flavour stars Sanrio characters, including Hello KittyAll-you-can-drink Starbucks and amazing views part of Tokyo’s new 170 meter-high sky lounge
More foreign tourists than ever before in history visited Japan last month
New Pokémon cakes let you eat your way through Pikachu and all the Eevee evolutionsMcDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Sales of Japan’s most convenient train ticket/shopping payment cards suspended indefinitely
Sold-out Studio Ghibli desktop humidifiers are back so Totoro can help you through the dry season
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Tokyo’s most famous Starbucks is closed
One Piece characters’ nationalities revealed, but fans have mixed opinions
We asked a Uniqlo employee what four things we should buy and their suggestions didn’t disappoint
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Celebrate another year of life by putting it in jeopardy with this birthday candle flower
Japan’s massive matcha parfait weighs 6 kilos, contains hidden surprises for anyone who eats it
Sandwiches fit for a sumo served up in Osaka【Taste Test】
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market site to be redeveloped with 50,000-seat stadium, hotel, shopping center
A Gintama fan’s emotional 19-year journey to buy a proper Lake Toya bokuto wooden katana【Pics】
McDonald’s Japan releases a pancake pie for new retro kissaten coffeeshop series
Japanese ramen restaurants under pressure from new yen banknotes
Limited-edition Carbonara Udon will anger noodle purists and pasta lovers 【Taste test】
Is it OK to split the bill on a date in Japan? Survey asks what women and men of different ages think
Akihabara pop-up shop sells goods made by Japanese prison inmates
Haku is…Chihiro’s dead brother? Studio Ghibli fans blown away by Spirited Away theory
Official Star Wars Ukiyo-e is back for Round 2!
Studio Ghibli releases new action figures featuring Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind characters
Pokémon fan 3-D prints a life-size Charmander, takes it camping【Photos, video】